All data for SpaceX Starship Flight 9 points to a launch
window opening on May 19th. Now, the US Coast Guard has
issued a marine warning for that date, with the window stretching
from 6:00 PM to 8:34 PM Central Time backup dates running
through the end of the month. Now, the FAA has also released
new airspace warnings, expanding the risk zones to cover areas
near Cuba and also the Bahamas. This is the first time that
those regions have been included in Starship's No TAMS, which
shows just how far the vehicle's trajectory and the potential
debris fields have extended as the program matures.
Now, the run up for Flight 9 has not been without setbacks,
though. On May 6th, Ship 35 static fire
test ended with an explosion near the engine section, forcing
SpaceX to swap out a Raptor engine and also conduct further
inspections of the vehicle. It was a possible methane feed
line issue or a combustion instability issue.
Now, the FAA will have to review and approve the repairs before
the final launch green light is given, so there's a real
possibility the date could slip deeper into May if more issues
arise. Now, on the hardware front,
Flight 9 is packed with upgrades.
Booster 14 is making its second trip to the pad, and this time
it's loaded with 29 Raptor engines that have already flown
at least once before. That's the highest number of
reused engines ever put on a Super Heavy booster, and three
of them are actually on their third flight.
SpaceX has reinforced the engine gibbles to reduce vibration and
overhauled the methane phenolines to address pressure
fluctuations that have caused problems in the past.
Now the hot staging ring, which is critical for separating the
booster from the upper stage, has been redesigned with fewer
vent holes and better alignment with the grid fins so the fins
are better protected from the blast during separation.
Ship 35 brings its own set of challenges though.
It's a Block 2 Starship, which means it features smaller nose
mounted flaps for better control during re entry and also less
heat exposure. The heat shield tiles are a
third generation design with a new mounting system and improved
gap fillers to keep them from popping off during the most
intense parts of flight. And the avionics have also been
upgraded, with three independent flight computers now cross
checking data in real time. This is the first time the
Starship is flying with Tripoli redundant avionics, and it's a
big step toward the kind of fault tolerance needed for
future crude missions. The ground systems at Starbase
have also changed a lot since the last flight.
Pad B's orbital launch mount is now fully operational, marking a
shift to a dual pad setup that should eventually allow for more
frequent launches. The water deluge system has been
extended to protect the lower half of the launch tower from
the full force of 33 Raptor engines firing all at once, and
the cryogenic tank farm has also been upgraded, which means
propellant can be loaded faster and with less waste.
One of the best changes for Flight 9 is the decision not to
attempt the tower catch for Booster 14.
Instead, the booster will perform a controlled splashdown
in the Gulf of Mexico, about 20 miles offshore.
Now this is a strategic move. By skipping the complicated
tower catch, SpaceX can focus on collecting clean data about the
boosters flight and landing behavior without the added risk
of variables and ground based recovery.
It also frees up resources to focus on the upper stage, where
persistent issues with re entry, tile loss, and engine reflight
failures have demanded more attention.
Now Ship 35 is expected to follow a trajectory that will
take it to a splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
And now that's after testing its upgraded heat shield and
attempting a Vacuum Raptor engine relight.
Now, that engine relight is a crucial move for future missions
that will require orbital refueling or complex return
paths. And the last few weeks have also
brought some regulatory and weather challenges to Starbase.
The expanded FAA risk zones are a sign that SpaceX is being
extra cautious, especially with the new flight path and the
inclusion of international waters near Cuba and also the
Bahamas. Early season tropical weather in
the Gulf could also play a role, potentially narrowing the
available launch window if conditions change.
If SpaceX can prove that reused engines, advanced avionics, and
improve heat Shields work as intended on this flight, they
will be much closer to making the dream of hundreds of flights
per year into a reality. If you like this kind of
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Also like this video? Leave a comment down below too.
I want to know what you think about this.
Do you think Flight 9 will be a success?
Will the ship explode again? I don't know.
Let me know what you think down in the comments so we can have a
talk. Thanks for coming and checking
out the show today. Everybody take care of
yourselves and each other. I'll see you in the next one.